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Why cheap online printing wrecks your brand

Saturday, 23 September 2017 15:04:36 Australia/Sydney

A business card that people can’t read. A lanyard with the print stitched through it, wristbands that the print has rubbed off before the recipient even made it home from the event! It’s all out there and you need to avoid it and present your companies branding on quality promotional items. This speaks volumes about you as a business owner and about your products and services.

First Impressions Matter

When a current client or a potential customer looks at your business card or brochure, that moment will set the first impression they have of your company.

If they are looking at a cheaply printed card, then it might leave a negative impression about the product or services offered by your business. Don’t let your printed materials look like they were designed by an amateur, because those materials will have a lasting impression on the brand of your company.

When you are designing any type of printed materials, it is important that you work with a designer of some kind, Either a professional one or someone you know who does design as a hobby. But even a good design will look poorly if it is printed on cheap paper with cheap printing methods, so you also need to be sure that you are working with a printing company that focuses on quality.

By implementing the right methods to make your promotional products shine, you can stand out from the competitors. Stay away from the cheap, template sites that offer deep discounts and pre-designed templates where you fill in the blanks. People know these sites and when someone at your next business function has the same business card design as you that WILL be awkward.

Here are a few reasons why you should stay away from cheap print.

Pricing Gimmicks: Even though they might advertise free printing if you pay for shipping, it is just a trick to get you onto their website. If the price sounds too good to be true, then it probably is! These companies start the price at FREE, but then you are charged for upgrades or necessary services to make your printing order look better. They will nickel-and-dime you on everything, including adding your logo, double-sided printing, printing on upgraded stock, the glossy finish, shipping, and more. In the end, your cost will be similar to the price that you would have paid at a professional printer.

Low Quality Materials: They have to make money somehow, so they use cheap products and materials. You will find that their “upgraded” material or printing method is usually lower quality than the cheapest options offered by professional commercial printers.

Spam Phone Calls and Emails: One of the ways that these cheaper printing companies make money is by selling your contact information to third-party sources. Or trying to advertise to you. You give them permission to sell your information when you agree to the terms and conditions of the website, and as a result you will likely receive spam phone calls and emails. It’s not worth saving $15 to get bombarded by telemarketers.

Template Designs: These companies limit the customizations that are available, which means that your printed materials will have the same style and design as everything else printed by the company. All of the designs have the same look, and it’s easy to identify these cheaply-printed items with a quick glance. Your business card, promotional mugs or lanyards will blend in with the sea of competitors, unless you make the effort to use a custom design that stands out from the rest. Most of the good promotional companies give you free design anyway as part of the service, all you need to supply is the idea.

Low Quality Printing: Have you ever looked at a business card and felt like you had to squint because of the blurry printing? Don’t print your own if you want to look good. You will notice the low quality printing from the moment you look at the card. The printing is done at a lower resolution, and the only way to get the crisp printing that you need is by using a professional.

Believe it or not, they use massive machinery to print your promotional products or marketing items and they definitely don’t use your dads epson to print their items.

Protect the image of your company and yourself, because your branding will impact the long-term success of your company, startup or venture. If you skip on marketing costs, then you will be cheapening your image, which will have an impact on the way other people perceive your products and services. ‘

Since you will be paying the same price after all of the upgrades on cheaper items, it is better to choose a REAL professional corporate gift company so that you can get it done right the first time, every time.